The present invention relates generally to remote control apparatuses and more particularly to an apparatus which enables the operator of a vehicle to remotely control the positioning of an object, such as a rear view mirror or a spotlight, mounted on the exterior of the vehicle.
In a typical remote control apparatus of the general type to which the present invention relates, the object to be remotely controlled, such as a rear view mirror, is mounted on a support member which in turn is pivotally mounted, as by a ball and socket arrangement, on a base member or housing which in turn is mounted on either the left side or right side of the vehicle (typically an automobile or truck). The mirror support member is mounted for pivotal movement, relative to the base member, about a pair of mutually transverse pivotal axes, e.g., a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.
Extending between the base member and the support member are a pair of linkages each comprising structure actuable to pivot the support member about a respective one of its two pivotal axes. Each linkage is connected to the support member at a position radially spaced from the main pivot point of the support member, and each connection between a linkage and the support member is angularly spaced 90.degree. from the other connection.
Mounted on the base member are a pair of reversible driving motors each for actuating one of the linkages. The driving motors are controlled by a single four-position switch accessible to the vehicle operator. This switch may be moved back and forth in a first pair of opposed directions to pivot the support member about one of its pivotal axes, and the switch may be moved back and forth in a second pair of opposed directions, transverse to the first pair, to pivot the support member about the other of its pivotal axes.
The connection between each linkage and the support member must accommodate pivotal movement of the support member about both of its mutually transverse pivotal axes. In the prior art this has been accomplished by providing a ball and socket joint at each connection between a linkage and the support member. Typically, the linkage included an externally threaded member connected to a ball and socket joint at the support member and driven by an internally threaded member in turn driven by a gear train connected to a motor. All of the linkage described in the preceding sentence was mounted on the base member, and the resulting package was relatively large. Moreover, it was relatively expensive to use a ball and socket joint for connecting each of the linkages to the support member. In addition, the fit of the ball within the socket necessarily was not too tight, and there was play between the ball and the socket. As a result, during movement of the vehicle along a highway, for example, the support member and attached mirror vibrated relative to the base member.
A remote control apparatus of the type described above is disclosed in Kurz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,014 issued Sept. 28, 1971 and entitled "Electric Remote Control Rear View Mirror".